P0902 and P090C on a 2014-2019 Ford Fiesta: Check the Clutch Motor Connectors First

P0902 and P090C mean the TCM has found a short to ground in one of the three phase circuits that drive a clutch actuator motor on your 2014-2019 Ford Fiesta (1.6L, DPS6); P0902 is clutch A and P090C is clutch B. Start with the motor and TCM connectors, then the phase wires. A motor swap separates a bad motor from a bad TCM. Do not count on the car to drive reliably until it is fixed.

What do P0902 and P090C mean on a 2014-2019 Fiesta?

P0902 is Clutch A Actuator Control Circuit Low and P090C is Clutch B Actuator Control Circuit Low. The DPS6 has two clutches, and each one is closed by its own brushless DC actuator motor bolted to the clutch housing. Clutch A carries 1st, 3rd and 5th. Clutch B carries 2nd, 4th, 6th and reverse. Motor 1 is motor A (connector C1633 at the motor) and motor 2 is motor B (connector C1634 at the motor). The phase circuits for both run to TCM connector C1750B.

A motor with no current leaves its clutch open. The TCM energizes the motor to close the clutch and keeps it closed with a holding current; when the TCM drops that current, springs open the clutch again. Each motor is a three-phase, two-direction DC motor driven by the TCM, and the TCM tracks its position through three Hall-effect sensor inputs.

The TCM sets P0902 when it detects a short to ground on one of the three phase circuits of motor A, and P090C for the same fault on motor B. That can be a chafed or damaged wire, a damaged connector, a fault inside the motor or a fault in the TCM driver.

P0901 sets along with P0902 (and with P0900 or P0903) and is the code that turns on the wrench light. P090B does the same for P090C, along with P090A or P090D. The TCM sets the code, and the wrench light is requested through P0901 for clutch A or P090B for clutch B. Related TCM concerns usually come with a check engine light.

Two groups of related codes matter here:

• P0900 and P090A are an open circuit on one of the three phase circuits (clutch A and clutch B). P0903 and P090D are a short to power on one of the three phase circuits.
• P0805, P0806 and P0809 are the motor A position sensor codes (motor fault, Hall-effect sensor fault, sequence fault). P087A, P087B and P087E are the same three for motor B. Those send you down the Hall-effect sensor checks instead of the phase circuit checks.

What symptoms do P0902 and P090C cause on the Fiesta?

• Check engine light.
• Transmission wrench light, through P0901 or P090B.
• Intermittent loss of transmission engagement while driving.
• Intermittent no-start.
• Intermittent loss of power.
• Hill Start Assist Not Available message.
• Parking Aid Malfunction/Service Required message.
• Flashing PRNDL indicator.
• No reverse, or a car that is reluctant to move or limited in speed.

What causes P0902 and P090C on the Fiesta, in the order to check them?

Here are the five causes on these Fiestas, laid out in the order you can check them.

How do you diagnose P0902 and P090C on a 2014-2019 Fiesta?

You will need a scan tool that can run the Ford clutch system test, the clutch adaptive learn and TCM programming, plus basic hand tools, a torque wrench and a meter for the wire checks. Use the motor 1 side (connector C1633) for P0902 and the motor 2 side (connector C1634) for P090C. The steps are the same; only the motor and connector change.

What if the obvious fix does not work?

Clearing the code alone can give you a short break and nothing more, so a clean scan right after clearing is not a repair. The code can come back after the car has sat for a while, and hot weather and long drives may be when it returns.

Swapping the two motors does not always end it. In some cases the code stayed after the swap and a TCM then came under suspicion. Replacing the motors alone did not always end the problem either, which is one more reason to run the connector and wire checks before you buy anything.

Here is the stop point. If the same clutch's codes stay put after the swap, the fault stayed with the position, and the next step is a new TCM, programmed with the latest calibration and adaptively learned. Do that and stop; do not start replacing other parts on top of it.

How do you confirm the repair?

Clear the codes, then do the resets that match the repair.

• The clutch adaptive learn is required after a clutch actuator motor replacement.
• After a TCM replacement, configure the new TCM with the scan tool's programmable module installation routine, program the latest calibration, then run the TR sensor adaptive learn and the clutch adaptive learn. A reused TCM does not need programming.

To run the clutch adaptive learn, bring the engine up to between one third and one half on the temperature gauge and switch off every electrical accessory, including the rear defrost and HVAC. Run the Clutch routine from the TCM Adaptive Learning menu of a Ford-capable scan tool and follow the prompts. Hold steady brake pedal pressure and do not turn the steering wheel.

Then run the drive cycle on a level road. Skipping it can leave you with erratic shifts and driveability complaints.

• With the brake pedal pressed (not the parking brake), shift to Drive, wait 15 seconds, shift to Reverse, wait 2 seconds, and repeat that ten times.
• Accelerate gently from a stop to 15 mph and brake gently to a full stop (allow at least 6 seconds), five times.
• Accelerate lightly through the 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4 shifts, holding 1700 to 2000 rpm.
• Reach 6th gear between 50 and 65 mph and hold steady throttle with the engine below 3000 rpm for at least two minutes, twice. Then test drive.

After the drive, rescan for the clutch A family (P0900 to P0903, P0805, P0806, P0809) and the clutch B family (P090A to P090D, P087A, P087B, P087E) to confirm none have returned.